What We Always Wanted?
by FyreStorm56
Summary: During battle with a mutant the Avengers are transported to another dimension. One without gamma radiation, without Afghanistan, without the ice...it was everything that they had always wanted, but it isn't. Warning for my own OC (she is described in my other Avengers FF if you are curious) *this is also mild crossover with X-Men ;)
1. Chapter 1

"Alex!" Clint shouted the name into the mike, "You're all clear! Shriek away!"

Clint covered his ears as Alex's high pitched scream made it's way to his ears all the way up 27 floors to his fragile ears. He watched as over twenty of the random creatures that were coming from all sides fell, blood gushing from their ears and mouths. "It's clear," Alex panted, turning back on her com before leaning herself forward, hands braced on her knees panting.

"We need to find this guy before he brings more of those things," Natasha ordered into her own com. Clint could see her moving about the wreckage in the streets, leaping over a car with the Cap and Thor close behind.

"I can't see him from above," Tony announced, whizzing onto the roof next to Clint and offering him a ride to the ground, which he gratefully accepted.

"I've already shrunk back down already guys," Bruce breathed into the com, specifically built to stay on his pants when he hulked out without breaking.

"There is no one on this side either," Alex agreed, standing straight to head over to were the group was now gathering in the middle of third street and Broadway. They watched her carefully make her way over cars, a weak smile made it's way to Bruce's tired face as Tony clapped him on the back. Suddenly she stopped, her eyes widening, "GUYS!" her shouted brought their attention back in full force a moment too late.

The world around them was shifting, suddenly there was nothing but darkness and then they fell to solid ground. Bruce shot up first, which was saying a lot considering that he had Hulked out only moments before, the memory of Alex's terrified face swimming in his brain. "Alex!?" he rasped out as loudly as he could, looking around the now crowded streets of New York.

Tony groaned, sitting up, noticing his lack of suit but lacking the stamina to mention it as he looked around, "How did everyone get back so soon?"

"Stark, when did you change the name on the Tower?" Steve's voice was wary suddenly, him always being one of the first to catch when something isn't quite right.

"I didn't…" Tony looked up quickly, noticing in the background that sure enough it that the tower said Stark once again…and there were three more in the background.

"When did you build the new ones?" Bruce wondered, looking over at Tony.

"He didn't…" Clint said, his voice was full of dread, fear was coated with a healthy layer of shock while he stood, "That one says Banner…and that one says Stone…Richards on the last one."

"What did you just say?" Bruce shouted, leaping up as quickly as he could, staring at what was sure enough said Banner tower.

"Where are we?"

"Doctor Banner? Tony Stark? What the hell are you two…" the voice trailed off, anger seething there, "What the hell did you do to yourself Tony? Banner you look like a hundred years old!"

The group turned quickly, only to notice that they were staring into the face of Remy… Gambit. "Gambit, what are you doing here?" Natasha asked quickly, noticing that Remy wasn't wearing anything even close to normal, but a suit, a very nice one at that.

"Gambit? What the hell did you just call me that for?" he shot back, raising his eyebrows, "And who the hell are you guys?"

"Gambit you don't…"

"My name is Remy, not Gambit, and you guys…"

"Remy, we have to talk to someone," Bruce said quickly, waving away the thought, "Someone smart, we need to see Alex."

"I don't think you are exactly on a first name basis with Alex, Banner," Remy shot back, a look of disdain that made Bruce flinch was shot his way.

"You don't understand," Tony announced, making his way between the men, "We aren't…we don't know what happened. We were fighting with a mutant ten seconds ago with Alex and now we are here."

"What the hell are you on Stark?" Remy questioned, looking the man up and down, "And how did you steal that reactor back from Alex, she bought that from you two years ago."

"What…" Tony slumped back suddenly, a shocked look on his face, "Where's Pepper?"

"Tony, you seriously don't remember do you? You fired her like a year ago, she works for Stone now, you said that she couldn't tell you how to run your damned life," Remy quoted, looking down at him, "You guys seriously don't…"

"We told you, we were fighting a mutant! We got sent here!" the Captain stood up for him quickly, moving forward, "It must've…"

"Done something?" Remy supplied, "Hell yea it must've done something for you to be here."

"What do you mean by that?" Steve asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Dude, you died like thirty years ago, you're Captain America right?"

Steve straightened suddenly, his eyes widening, "I'm seriously…"

"Dead? Yea that sounds right."

"That mutant must've been a jumper," Natasha hissed, "one that can jump through…"

"Dimensions," Tony gasped, a hand going to his throat, "He put us somewhere were nothing happened the way it did in our world."

"Yea, sure they did Stark," Remy half laughed, poking Tony's chest, "I'm going to get back to Al now."

"No!" Bruce shouted, grabbing onto Remy's wrist tightly, "We need to see Alex now!"

"I don't think that…"

"Now," Natasha ordered, her guns coming out to point at the mutant, "and I won't kill you."

Remy half laughed, raising his hands in defeat, "Fine, fine, don't say I didn't warn you Banner."


	2. Chapter 2

Remy lead them to the tower quickly, a scoff on his face that said anything but good things for the group. At the moment though, they were all too freaked out to care about anything but seeing their team mate who could possibly know them. "Remember," Remy said again, leading them to the front door of a tower that they hadn't realized they had entered, "I warned you. Especially you Banner."

Bruce nodded dumbly, watching Remy fetch a key from his own keychain and unlock the door smoothly, pushing it open he moved to the side to let the other enter first. "Hello," a female voice appeared from nowhere, "I have been programed to tell you that neither Tony Stark nor Bruce Banner allowed on the premises Mr. Remy, why are they here?"

"Breath Em, they are saying they aren't the ones we think they are," he waved his hand in dismissal, "Call Alex down here, Pepper too actually."

The others looked around quickly at the home. It screamed their teammate, wood paneling, soothing colors of beige and white with splashes of red before leading to a spiral stair case that blocked view of anything else. Then there was the clacking of heels that made it's way to their ears.

"Remy, you had Em call?" Alex's voice was a soothing balm, cool and collected.

"Yep, A, and you would never guess who called for your help," Remy laughed loudly, watching as an oh so familiar Alex but with a much shorter pixie cut rounded the corner, Pepper at her side.

Bruce almost smiled, so did the others, until they so the murder suddenly written on her face when her eyes landed on Bruce. "Wha…" she growled, moving forward quickly, the clacking of her heels echoing before the air was split with the sound of a fist hitting the jaw of Bruce Banner.

Bruce felt the pain, but didn't hear a peep from the Hulk as he landed harshly on the ground. He couldn't believe he just got a right hook from his girlfriend, another dimension or no. Meekly, he looked up at her angry face through his lashes, when she raised her fist again making him flinch. Shock suddenly crossed her face, "What the hell is wrong with you Banner?" she hissed, looking him over, before lowering her voice.

"He's not _the_ Banner apparently," Remy shrugged, looking down at the man as if he was finally convinced, "They say they're from a different dimension."

"They have to be right," Pepper whispered, looking Tony over before gasping when looking at the arc reactor in his chest.

"Right, the Bruce we know would have beat the shit out of you," Remy said venomously, looking down at the man in disdain that he didn't deserve.

"What did you just say?" Bruce asked, suddenly standing, dizzy and about to throw up as he looked over at Alex, "I would've hit you?"

Flinching at the thought, Alex nodded, "You would've done a lot more then hit me Banner."

"The lady Stone and yourself are not…" Thor questioned half way before being cut off by a wave of Tony's hand.

"Banner and myself are not what, Blondie?" Alex questioned with a raised eyebrow, moving her eyes over his form, "Holy shit you're tall."

"Thank you, Lady Stone!" Thor declared loudly, raising a fist at the praise bringing a giggle from Pepper's lips.

"So if you are all from another dimension why are you here?" Alex sighed, her mind whirling with the idea that there actually was another dimension and the fact that people could actually survive the travel.

"A mutant brought us," Steve answered, making all eyes widen and focus on his form, "What?"

"You're Captain America, you're dead," Alex answered quickly, moving around Bruce, who had yet to stand up, to look the Captain up and down.

"That's what I told him," Remy sighed, shrugging slightly, "but there he is."

"Maybe Banner got the super solider crap right," Alex took a hold of Captain's arm, twirling it in her grasp with little resistance from the man himself, "and he just picked a look alike?"

"You know better then that Ms. Stone," the AI, or what the group was assuming was an AI, spoke again, "With the serum physical looks depend on what is inside the person. By looking at them, no matter how close they looked to Steve Rodgers originally wouldn't make him look the same on the inside as well."

Alex sighed, nodding slightly, "SO this is real, you guys are from another dimension."

"We told you," Tony snapped, growling under his breath, "You just didn't believe us."

"He still has the snark of Stark, doesn't he Pepper?" Alex questioned, still looking at the arm of the Captain that was meant to be dead.

"Yes, yes he does," Pepper agreed coolly, looking at Tony again critically, though her eyes continued to stray purposefully away from the arc reactor.

"Pep, why are you acting like you've never met me before? I mean it's not like you haven't seen the reactor before," Tony asked cautiously, his hand going up subconsciously to the glowing light in his chest.

"I have seen it," she agreed, nodding, "In much, much, larger form helping power several cities…never in someone's chest."

"What?"

"You're forgetting, you're not in your dimension Tony," Bruce sighed, standing on his feet shakily, "Apparently a lot of things didn't happen here."

"So I was never in that cave…there is no shrapnel here, no Iron Man…" Tony shook his head, never realizing how much all of these things had created his personality.

"Iron Man?" Pepper raised an eyebrow, "Sounds like something that could get you killed."

"You sound just like my…I mean our Pepper," Tony laughed, "Iron Man is me, in my world I save people."

"You? _You_ save people Stark?" Alex laughed, finally allowing herself to drop Steve's arm and smile gratefully up at him, "You aren't the hero type here."

"What type am I here then?" Tony snapped, narrowing his eyes.

"More like the drunk, playboy, weapons dealer type," Pepper supplied.

"Weapons? I stopped selling weapons after…" Tony stopped, his mouth falling open as understanding hit him, "I stopped selling weapons after the Cave, after I saw what they could do…"

"And that never happened," Natasha continued, "so you never changed. What else didn't happen?"

"What do you mean?" Pepper questioned, watching closely as Alex turned to Thor, beginning to examine his hammer that hung loosely from his hand.

"Thor, was he ever here?" Clint broke in.

"This guy?" Alex shook her head, "Nope, nothing, he hasn't been on Earth and I would know."

"What about Captain, why is he dead?"

"What do you mean?" Pepper tilted her head, "There are only so many years even super heroes can live."

"So he didn't crash into the ice," Tony supplied.

"Nope, no ice," Alex agreed, jerking her hand back as she was shocked by Thor's hammer, "Nice weapon, I like it."

"Thank you," Thor said absentmindedly, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he was never banished, that he was still in Asgaurd and never met Jane or his allies.

"What about the Hulk?" Bruce questioned suddenly, "Did the Hulk happen?"

"Hulk?" Alex turned and raised her eyebrow, "What in the world?"

"He's big and green and can lift over eighteen tons…I turned myself into him working with gamma radiation," Bruce whispered, clinching his fist.

"Well, in this world you are a huge enough dick without doing that, so no," Remy answered, following with a clipped laugh.

Bruce felt light headed suddenly. There was no Hulk, nothing bad had ever happened, after college at least. He was…he was… "Without learning self-control, I turned into my father," Bruce choked out the words, feeling his world fall around him. "I always thought that the Hulk was the monster."

"Apparently the Hulk aged you," Alex agreed, "Making you a lot more mature, controlled. You never knew what to do with you anger so you hit things."

"People," Bruce disagreed, ''not things." He knew what Alex, Remy and even Pepper had supplied with bits of information that they had given him on himself, he was abusive and angry here.

"Turns out we got everything we wanted," Tony shook his head, looking up mournfully at Pepper, "and it's awful."


	3. Chapter 3

"How are we going to get back?" Tony questioned, suddenly pacing, hand under his chin, "I mean we have three geniuses here."

"Do you even know the math that we would need to even begin to create a worm hole controlled enough to get all of you into your dimension?" Alex asked, still wrapping her head around the fact that these people weren't the assholes she knew and hated.

"Yes, it would be hard but not impossible though," Tony nodded, "Considering you have had a lot more time to study and you seem to at least be acting mildly the same you have probably looked into this."

"I've looked into time travel never travel to other dimensions," Alex disagreed, "Reed was doing some of that before he started working on the more based topics instead of theories."

"So why don't we call him? I mean him and Sue would be great help," Clint asked.

"You mean Sue Von Doom?" Remy asked, barking out a laugh, "No one has seen her or Victor since they got married and left their company to Reed."

"Wait…what?" Tony blinked slowly, "You mean…"

"Sue married Von Doom and disappeared leaving the completely anal Reed Richards in charge?" Alex questioned, "That is exactly what we are saying."

"So…we only have…"

"The three of us here and possibly Reed and then if we got lucky maybe the dicks themselves," Alex nodded.

"We don't even know the mathematics to do that!" Tony shouted, throwing his arms up in despair. "I need to get back…I need…" he looked despairingly at Pepper, longing for the one in his own world.

"Tony," Pepper broke in calmly, much like she usually would have in any other situation, "you know there is a much simpler way to fix all of this."

Bruce scuffed his feet on the ground, feeling more aches in his heart as he watched Alex jump into observing Thor's arms and battle scars. He wasn't the Hulk here, so that would explain the silence, but the idea that he had turned into his father…a monster that would have hit a woman as amazing as Alex or Betty. His stomach inched it's way up his throat again, his heart racing, though he still didn't even hear the Hulk stir…he was going to be sick for the first time in the past year.

"Are you okay?" Alex's voice was next to him, making him jump though the watering of his mouth still hadn't stopped. "Oh dear…" she whispered, dragging him quickly behind her as she ran up the stairs, "Come on, come on…" she whispered the words in a comforting manner, slowing until she was next to him, rubbing soothing circles in the small of his back as she continued to navigate him through a set of new hall ways.

His heart ached at the gentleness she was showing him, so much like his Alex, when he knew in this world he didn't deserve it. Alex pulled away, pushing open a new door and leading him into a bathroom, quickly she slammed down the lid of the toilet, where she shoved him into sitting. "Here," she whispered soothingly, handing him a trash can, "you were talking about gamma radiation so I assume your vomit would need to be burned as well?"

Bruce nodded numbly, his throat constricting as his stomach tried to make the food he had eaten recently evacuate in the quickest way possible. He gagged, Alex grabbing the glasses of his face just in time for him to not lose them with the vomit that he was retching into the trashcan. He heard her footsteps move from in front of him, making him ache at the idea of being alone, but he should have expected that this Alex wouldn't want to stay near a man that had caused her so much…his thoughts stumbled as a wet cloth pressed itself to the side of his face, down his neck causing him to shiver, but so grateful for the coolness against his feverish skin.

"Shhh," she whispered comfortingly, continuing to move the rag against his skin, "it's okay, it's okay, get it out."

He retched again, the disgusting sound of liquid sloshing in the bottom of the metal can reaching his ears, his head pounding. He didn't understand anything right now, his life was wrong, everything was wrong and…in this world he was alone. He had never met his new friends, there was no Tony Stark poking him in the lab or Alex laughing at him while he tried to teach her how to meditate, no Avengers movie nights that always ended up being them all sleeping on the couch until Steve came in with the popcorn and covered them with blankets. He would have never…never been the person he was today and no one would have ever been helped, all those people he saved where…He puked again.

It was several long minutes of uninterrupted puking, not one person knocked on the door and Alex never muttered more than simple encouragements while continuing to wipe his flushed skin. Finally it stopped when Bruce had nothing left in his stomach but bile that refused to move or that would have been in the trash can as well. He looked up tiredly, balancing his head on the edge of the trash can. "Can you…" he couldn't even get the question out past his chapped lips, but other Alex nodded, smiling slightly.

"I'll get rid of it for you, my incinerator is very good at taking care of chemicals," she answered, wetting her wash cloth again before wiping his forehead and mouth gently. "Are you alright now?"

"I've been better," he whispered the answer, his mind filling with the people that were sure to be dead now, Betty…Alex, tears were gathering in the corner of his eyes.

"Done with the vomiting?" she questioned, a motherly smile on her face.

He nodded, giving her a grateful smile as she gently moved his body backwards to lean on the back of the toilet and taking the trash can away, sitting it near her on the floor. "You don't have to do this," he muttered, watching her face carefully, "I'm not a good person."

"Not a good person here," she corrected gently, placing a hand on his forehead, "You're not feverish, so it was probably just shock. Which is reasonable," she nodded to herself before dropping the rag into the sink.

"How do you know I'm not a completely awful person in my world? I could be you know, I have the monster inside me to prove it," he probed, from everything he had heard and the reaction from their first meeting…

"I punched you in the face, you just sat on the ground and you have yet to try to get me back for that," she answered simply, a nonchalant shrug as if she had people from other worlds drop into her home all the time. "I think you are a perfectly pleasant person."

"But you don't…"

"You have friends, friends that looked incredibly worried when you were about to get sick, and you haven't tried to punch me back after I hit you, as I already said," Alex explained again, looking more agitated, "Stop trying to deny you are a nice person and trying to take lumps for the other you."

"I'm not trying to…"

"Yes you are," Alex interrupted, "you are a martyr and you should stop that nonsense."

"He's the constant martyr," Tony announced from the door, looking down at him with disapproval that was probably more for this world then Bruce himself, "You okay, Big Guy?"

Bruce nodded numbly, looking at him sadly; understanding that once again he and Tony were the only ones that understood each other right now. "We are going to find the mutant," Tony announced firmly, trying to sooth Bruce and himself, "We are going to get back."

"How are we going to get him to stay? Or how are we going to make him take us back?" Bruce asked, frustrated, thoughts of being stuck here for the rest of their days.

"I can do that," Alex announced, standing a little straighter as she leaned against the counter, "I can make him take you back."

"You are still a mutant!" Steve called out happily, smiling, "You can make him…"

"Take you back and then turn himself into the nearest jail," Alex half smiled, "I have friends that can help find him too, if Charles stops partying long enough that is."

"Charles…as in Charles Xavier?" Steve was gaping like a fish, "Partying?"

"Yes, Charles Xavier," Alex shook her head, sighing, "It's a shame he parties so much he would be one of the greatest mutants of all time…"

"And you two would be married but ca la vie," Remy added, waving his hand dismissively.

"What?" Bruce yelped, his head shooting up to stare at Alex, "You were…"

"Dating Charles for a couple of years? Yea," she shrugged as if she hadn't dated the only other genius mutant in the world.

"Years?" Tony asked, noticing that Bruce's eyes were shining with jealousy.

"They were serious, they were working on a way for mutants to all be…"

"Ceribro," Bruce supplied quickly, blocking out any of the anger that was trying to push it's way forward, while at the same time cutting everything short.

"Yes…I guess it's in your world too?" Alex raised her eyebrows.

"Yes, Charles built it with the Hank McCoy," Tony supplied, "If this is here we can use it to find him, no matter how good of a jumper he is."

"Do you think that this will really work?" Bruce questioned.

"He is right my friends, nothing could ever be so easy," Thor agreed, a sigh in his voice.

"Charles?" Alex's casual voice cut into the conversation, drawing the attention to her, a phone casually placed in between her shoulder and her ear, a smile on her face as he answered.

"I know it has been a while, but I was wondering if I could ask you a favor?" her brow crumpled for a second, before it cleared up again, "I'll bring you a bottle of that Kentucky Whiskey you like so much."

She smiled again, winking as she caught Pepper's eyes, "I need you to use Ceribro to help me find a mutant. He's been causing a lot of trouble and I have about six? No, five people in my bathroom as proof and you are never going to believe who they are.

"Yes, yes, of course you can meet me in about thirty minutes. The whiskey will be waiting but you aren't allowed to drink it here," she frowned suddenly, her eyes flickering with emotion, "You know why you can't drink that here. Just get over here."

She snapped the phone shut, sighing and rubbing her temples, "He's going to be here in about thirty, just be ready for…a party," she groaned, placing her head on her knees.

"You seem excited," Steve quipped, though his voice was gentle, "Can we help?"

"No, just…just go chill in the living room," she waved her hand, "Pepper can you get them set up down there and grab that stuff out of the cellar?"

"Cellar? I didn't even know people had those anymore," Tony laughed, smiling slightly, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Remy," she lifted her head suddenly, her eyes soft with something that no one wanted to recognize, "can you help me get ready?"

Remy shook his head, laughing as he heaved the girl to her feet without waiting for her to lift up her arms. "Let's go boss lady," he bumped her with his hip.

"This may have been a bad idea," Pepper sighed as the pair disappeared around the corner, shaking her head slightly, "Let's get you guys down stairs, are any of you hungry?"

"How about Shawarma?" Tony asked, placing a gentle hand on Bruce's shoulder, leading the other man to his side and out of the bathroom.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Remy and Alex weren't gone long, when she had gotten back into the room nothing about her outfit had seemed different. Bruce didn't understand what they had even done to help her get ready…he crumpled his brow as thoughts of what could have happened in her bed room while he and the others had been ordering Greek food.

"How many did you take?" Pepper asked casually, returning to the room with a large, dark bottle of whiskey in her hands.

"Just two," Alex sighed, running a hand threw her hair, "just leave the bottle on the counter or on the floor, he'll sniff that shit out if you hid it in my closet."

"Because he won't be ending up there at the end of the night," Remy snarled bitterly, shaking his head.

"He always does," Pepper agreed, tossing Alex a sympathetic look from under her eyelashes, catching Alex's sharp look, "You know I understand the feeling, always ending up with feelings...or something of that sort with someone that would never commit." She glanced over sharply about the other Tony that immediately looked away.

Bruce felt his own heart clinch, the thought of Alex… "So you continue to have sexual relations with the man of knowledge, Xavier?" Thor asked bluntly, the thought dawning on him, coloring Alex's cheeks a deep red that could rival Iron Man's suit.

"Every time that drunk comes over," Remy answered bitterly, "stupid is in love with him and he's in love with his drink and sex."

"Speaking of drinking and sex, it's amazing to see you again gorgeous!" Charles Xavier burst, slamming open both doors and stumbling into the room. The group stared at the man with wide eyes, this wasn't…there was no way…

"Charles Xavier?" Steve choked out the name as he stared at the man in front of him. A man that stood tall, even though he was clearly intoxicated, he was taller than people would have guessed considering that they had only seen him sitting in his chair. His brown hair was thin, but swept neatly over his brow before falling neatly at his neck. He was aged, but he aged much better then it seemed he had fared in their own world.

"How's it going, Captain?" his brow creased as soon as the sentence escaped his mouth, tilting his head as he moved silently to Alex's side. "What did you do? I knew you were dabbling in science but seriously love, bringing people to life?" His eyes slid over the group before landing on Bruce and Tony, which made his eyes cool into molten anger. "And with such unsavory characters too, what the hell are they doing back in your home Alex. I thought that after he beat the shit out of you last time you were done."

"They aren't who you think Charles," Alex sighed, looking at him with a worn look in her eyes that showed every single one of her years.

"What do you mean?" Charles asked sharply, his eyes suddenly narrowing as he clearly began to probe into Bruce's mind.

Bruce felt the pressure, his frontal lobe, his memories, making him shudder but he didn't push back. He welcomed Charles in, breathing deeply, soothingly as if he had to control the Hulk but this time…it was just habit. He watched emotions flicker over Charles's face, glancing back and forth between himself and Alex before beginning to probe deeper into what had happened in the past 24 hours. "Do you have everything you need?" Bruce questioned, immediately feeling him pull away from his mind and blink several times.

"So it seems a mutant brought you here, good man?" Charles smiled his way warmly, suddenly moving to him and throwing his arm around his shoulders.

"So they aren't crazy then?" Pepper sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Or a ploy, it would've been a very well concocted one, but that's what I thought," Remy added, glancing at each person before back to Charles.

"Nope, these guys are completely bonkers," Charles announced, "but all the best people are."

"Did you really just quote Alice in Wonderland at us?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, my dove," Charles motioned her over before throwing an arm around her shoulders, "I did. But these men are completely truthful! I take it you are bribing me to find the jumper?"

"You know me so well," Alex laughed, shaking her head at him as she glanced over his chest to offer a small smile to Bruce, who looked completely uncomfortable under Charles's arm.

"I can find it if you let me go down and use the machine," Charles said in his sing-song voice, leading them three of them to a stair case that Bruce hasn't noticed until now, "Well come on then loves! What are you waiting for?" He called for the others to follow him, "You are going to love this," he whispered to Bruce before dragging him down into the darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

It was a long stair case, a long stair case that lacked lights but the only people that seemed to be having trouble walking down them except the small group of Avengers. Bruce was stumbling clumsily next to Charles, who continued to walk smoothly as if he had trailed these stairs a thousand times…which Bruce cursed as his traitorous mind that said he probably had. A small light at the end of the stair case was his only guide and the stumbling and random cursing of the other Avengers was the only thing saving his dignity from the gutter walking next to Charles.

"Almost there," Charles said off handedly as he clutched on to Bruce's shoulder to balance him again, "only a few more steps."

"A few more as in twenty," Alex corrected, her voice sympathetic.

"That's almost," Charles countered.

Then there was a yelp that made Bruce jump, Alex's outburst made him glance over sharply, a growl holding it self in it's throat as a sharp slap of a hand against a face. "Your hands belong above the waist," Alex snapped, "_Keep your hands up there_."

Charles groaned loudly, beginning to move again, "Using your voice isn't fair," the pout in his voice was surprisingly Tony-like.

"As if you don't use your mind to pick up girls or get free stuff," she snapped back, sounding huffy, "Which is bad for the image of mutants I'm trying to put out, by the way."

"I appreciate that you are trying to do for mutants Alex, honestly," Charles sighed, "but you take life way too seriously. You need to live a little. We have these gifts to use them! You never, ever, ever use your own!"

"I use it sometimes!" Alex disagreed, her voice sounded like he had smacked her instead of the other way around.

"When?" Charles snapped back as the three of them stepped into the light in front of the door.

Alex growled under her breath, shoving open the door, spilling light on the stair case before she stomped inside. Bruce and Charles followed closely behind, Charles pinching the bridge of his nose and making him look more serious than he had since Bruce saw him for the first time. Bruce stopped himself form sighing as well, distracting himself by glancing around the room.

It was white, plain, but when he looked closer he could tell it was anything but. There were almost see through computer screens, lining the walls on the ceiling, filling with equations, ideas, plans, everything that Bruce knew flew around his own Alex's head was actually written down. The room had several fluffy looking red chairs, all in front of tables that were stacked with books, both hand written and printed, blue prints. Then in the front of the room, that was what Alex was walking to, was a super computer. It was huge, taking up most of the very large wall. Several screens, hard drives, head phones, disks, flash drives, and then there, on a pedestal, sat a bust of a man was the head set of Celribro.

"Charles, now," she pointed to the helmet, moving her hand vapidly over the screen and watching as it came to life in a flash of color.

"Right," Charles murmured, sounding disgruntled, he lifted the helmet onto his head, closing his eyes, "So I'm looking for a jumper, a trans dimensional one…"

Bruce watched transfixed as the screen lit up with people, shadows traveling through as Charles continued to sift through the people, searching. "This is much like how Hiemdel searches for the lost in battle," Thor whispered in awe.

"Do you think that he's going to be able to find one mutant in a world of thousands, at least?'' Tony asked skeptically.

"Thousands?" Remy scoffed, "More like hundreds… maybe…"

"No there are thousands in our world, at least there could be more," Steve spoke up, ignoring the looks he was getting from Pepper and Remy, "there has to be that many here."

"But in your world, you probably didn't have the incident," Pepper whispered, looking up from under her lashes long enough to see Alex stiffen at the word.

"Incident?"

"Not now Tony," Remy barked under his breath, "Not now."

"It wasn't an incident," Alex broke in, taking a shaky breath as she watched Charles rule out another mutant and move on to another.

"More like a genocide, a holocaust on people stronger then themselves," Remy growled, watching Alex take another breath, rubbing her wrist raw, "Alex." His voice was stern, drawing Alex up from the world she was stuck in, "Where are you?"

"D.C.," she answered honestly, blinking a few times before looking up to him again, "I was in D.C. five years ago."

"When you were fighting against the most of the house?" Charles questioned.

"Along with you and VonDoom," she nodded, "I used my power then Charles."

"I know you did," Charles agreed, lifting the machine off of his head and placing it back onto the bust, "All mutants know you did."

"Did you find him?" she asked, her voice shaky enough to make Steve want to protect her, much like he had felt when they had first met her.

"He's still skipping back and forth, having all of his fun," Charles answered, "I felt his power, he is getting tired. Just give him another day and he will be stuck until he rests."

"So we are going to be stuck here for a while?" Tony asked, his voice controlled, showing how terrified he was at the thought.

"For a week at most," Charles soothed, "Don't worry, we'll get you back as soon as we can."

"So…" Steve rubbed the back of his head anxiously, trying to gain the courage to ask what was good for the team.

"He wants to know where they are going to stay while they are here," Charles answered for him, smiling slightly at him.

"Don't worry about it, Captain," Alex laughed, looking up at him with slightly tired eyes.

"Steve, please," he interjected before she continued.

"That's the good thing about having someone with Charles's gifts around," she smiled, understanding that pride had to be a big inhibitor of questions. "You'll stay here, I have plenty of room. Pepper I'm going to need their measurements for some pajamas and extra clothes, I also need…a lot of extra food," she smiled at the Captain and Thor.

"I'll call someone," Pepper nodded, giving her a half smile, "It'll be here in the morning."

"Here," Tony shoved a cell phone into her hand, gaining a confused look, "the measurements for everyone…and some others…"

"Thank you Tony," she smiled, sounding genuinely pleased with him for the first time that night.

"Remy, can you help show them around," Alex sounded weary, rubbing her face roughly, "We'll show them to their rooms when Pepper gets back after the phone call so she'll know where to deliver them."

Remy nodded, moving forward smoothly, until he stood next to the woman himself, taking her hand. "What floor should we start on?" he glanced over sharply at Charles, "And what are you going to do?"

"I'll be taking my drinks in the sun room," he smiled, un-phased by the clear sign that Remy was sending him to leave, "Alex can come tell me good bye after she sorts this out," he waved his hand dismissively at the group.

"Come on," Alex ordered, pulling Remy forward, away from Charles and back to the staircase, "We'll show you everywhere that you might find interesting," she sounded airy, distant, everyone recognized the tone, "Gym, kitchen, labs," she smiled back at Bruce, gaining a smile in turn.

"Do you have anything to drink?" Tony groaned as they trekked up the steps again, this time with more grace as they knew what to expect.

Alex chuckled under her breath, "I'll show you the living room and make us all a night cap…we all need it," she sighed, "Pepper will meet us there and then you will all be shown rooms."

"I think we could all use that," Thor agreed in his gravelly voice. He was so tired, worried for the people in the world they had already left behind to end up in this world in shambles. Pepper and the Alex they all knew could only hold off enemies for so long on their own, Jane would be left defenseless if another call for protection of the city took Pepper and Alex away from the tower. What of his brother? Would he continue on the straight path of good with himself being gone? What of Salvig and Darcy? He knew that his worries had to be small compared to the Man of Iron or even the good doctor, he could feel the discomfort coming off of the two of them in waves despite this Lady Stone trying to comfort them.

A hand clapped onto his shoulder firmly as Natasha and Clint stepped closer to the group, feeling more at ease now that they were actually going to see the grounds. "What about the vents? Can I get a blue print?" Clint called out, making another low laugh reach his ears.

"What don't like being on the ground?" Alex asked the question lightly, though there was an underlying curiosity.

"I like being able to see everything," Clint confirmed, feeling a little more stiffness escape his shoulders as they reached the top of the stair case again.

"Em? Blueprint of the vents around the tower, disable all inside traps and print it off for our new friend," she called out flashing him a look of understanding, "Tell everyone to be aware that there will be no enemies in the vent system, just someone…" she stopped as she caught the look on Clint's face, "working on the vents, checking to make sure everything is working properly…actually tell them it's a machine."

"Of course ma'am," Emily responded automatically, "printing in the living room and the night caps are being made, they will be ready when you arrive at the end of the tour."

"She likes to spy on me," Alex explained, smiling fondly, "Always on alert, probably more so with a Stark, a Banner, and Charles in my home."

"You know me very well ma'am," Emily answered, sounding as loving as an A.I. could.

"So this is the 'sitting area', don't ask me the people that built the house added it in," she said quickly, waving her hand dismissively after getting an odd look for several of the group.

She moved on quickly, walking the same direction that Bruce had been lead up to go to the bathroom. "That's the bathroom for this floor," she pointed to the still open door that lead to the bathroom though she didn't stop until she reached three large doors at the end of the hall. "These are the labs, math, science, machinery," she pointed to each door, "Feel free to use anything any time. Emily will answer where things are if I'm not there." Her eyes seemed to focus on Bruce and Tony, understanding that they were the most likely to use them. "Now, we will take the elevator…do you want to put your weapons down somewhere?" she gestured to Thor's hammer and Clint's bow, ignoring the guns on Natasha all together.

The two shook their heads stiffly, "I want to have it close, keep it in my room," Clint answered, his hand going to his side in a fist, stopping himself from actually touching the bow.

"I just meant for the tour," she clarified, "you can keep them with you, I just meant for your comfort you could put them down."

Both shook their heads slightly and Alex shrugged her shoulders smoothly, motioning to the elevator that was already opening around the corner. The pair of steel doors, opening smoothly to reveal the polished wood paneling inside. "Okay, so these elevators only connect with the upper floors, you have to go down to the sitting room and take that elevator to get outside," she explained, waving her hand as she lead the group into the elevator and entering last pressing what seemed to be a random button since none of them had numbers.

"Had some trouble with random people popping up in the living room?" Steve nodded sympathetically.

"Bedroom actually, I don't like fighting without my glasses and I didn't want it to happen again," she laughed slightly, though there was a bitter edge.

"This is an amazing idea!" Tony gushed smiling broadly, clapping a hand on her shoulder, "Someone take note of this! I'm so doing this when we get back!"

"Glad you enjoy it," Alex grinned, watching as the doors slid back open, revealing another hall way, but this hall…looked different. "This is my home."

The hall was beige, the air was warm and the air smelled of fresh cookies, it was lined with paintings and blocked out photos of people that most of the group didn't recognize. A small table was lined in the exact center of the wall, a vase of white lilies stood out against the books sitting next to it. It had warm wood floors that almost matched the lining in the elevator, "Do you like it?" Alex asked cautiously, biting her lip as everyone continued to stare.

"It's lovely," Natasha answered, "It's…"

"Warm, nothing like down stairs," Steve agreed, "No offense."

"I know, down there is business, very impersonal," Alex agreed, "That's where I take my meetings."

"So it's meant to seem like that," Tony nodded with understanding, he, himself, had made all of his business rooms purely business, cold so that they wouldn't feel too welcome and make sure to make everyone get down to business.

"People I bring down there don't need to think that they should stay longer then I want them," Alex smirked, thinking of several times she would have shoved Stark down there, but then again, this wasn't Stark.

"So you say that we all have rooms?" Steve asked, changing the subject smoothly.

"Yes, you all have separate rooms, all on the same floor. There's a kitchen there as well, dining room, library, and a gym is one floor above it. I'll label the buttons," she sent him a warm smile, "I didn't label them so that my room and the rooms of guests would be private, but for you I'll make an exception so that you don't end up somewhere you don't want."

Steve smiled, bowing his head gratefully, "So where is this button taking us?"

"The floor above the rooms," she explained with a wave of her hand as the door opened, she exited with confidence, understanding that they would follow. "The gym and everything else here is open to you, I know the gym is where you will usually be however."

"Right, do you have any weapons on hand to practice with?" Clint questioned, his eyes watching her face carefully, trying to discover if his question had made her uncomfortable.

"You seem to have your bow already, I can make you some more arrows, they seem to be homemade, or I can give Tony and Bruce access to everything to make them. I have several types of guns and knives, all the usual stuff, but if you need anything else I can call in an order from Wade."

"Wade Wilson?" Natasha asked, her eyes widening slightly.

"Yea, Wade has been around for a long time, very good with weapons and smuggling things in. I've had him get me quite a few things," Alex agreed, her brow crumpling slightly at the looks she was getting back. "What's he like in your world to get me that look?"

"His name is Deadpool, he was an…experiment and now he has several mutant abilities," Bruce answered, before anyone could say something…stupid. "He is a good friend to the other you…not so much for the rest of us. He's more of a villain, he does what he wants and sometimes he saves people."

"So he's an anti-hero," she nodded, moving swiftly to a door at the end of the hall before stopping. "This, this is the gym. Everything is state of art," she opened the door showing the gleam of steel and the flash of hard wood flooring. "There are yoga mats in the corners, kickboxing in the connecting room, there's no track yet however."

Everyone nodded swiftly, their eyes catching on everything they would usually use in the tower, though now it seemed more intimidating. Then again they were never ones to lie down when scared. They watched Alex cross the room to one of the two doorways, "Kickboxing," she said motioning to the left before opening the right door and disappearing inside.

"Where do you think we are going now?" Thor questioned, tightening his grip on his hammer, still untrusting of the universe they were dropped in…not that they could blame him.

"Are you guys going to come see the weapons practice area or are you getting tired?" Alex called from inside of the room.

The group shuffled forward, indeed getting tired, they had only just completed a battle when they were drug into this situation. "Actually we are a little tired," Steve conceded, rubbing the back of his head and blushing to his ears, feeling as if they were being ungrateful for Alex's hospitality.

"Thought so," Alex grinned at them as they entered the room.

Clint felt his mouth fall open, though he didn't feel bad because he knew that Natasha, if she had lacked a little more restraint would have been doing the same thing. The walls were lined with weapons, all neat and orderly, ammo stacked under, labeled as if someone with OCD had organized the room. Several dummies were at the end of a long tunnel, ready for target practice. "Awesome," Clint whispered, his eyes glancing between Alex and everything else.

"Thanks," Alex nodded at them, turning to another door that was at the opposite side of the room, "Let's get you guys some drinks and then show you the rooms, if you have anything else you could always ask Emily where everything is."

"It will be a pleasure to help," Emily answered swiftly.

Tony flinched mentally. He should understand that her AI would be watching at all times, really, he had JARVIS doing the exact same thing, but this would not help when the team wanted to talk. He could always hack into her and block out the room but that wasn't exactly how he wanted to treat one of the only people they had here that would trust them.

The group moved quickly into the next room, a large open living room with a glass wall letting in the sun. The couch was maroon, cream pillow thrown haphazardly in random places, it was overly large and curved facing the fireplace. There was a large book shelf, already stuffed with books that lead to another open area which was assumed to be the kitchen when they caught a glimpse of the refrigerator. A bar was shoved into a corner, glass bottles lined on selves of cherry wood, and seven glasses filled with a clear liquid sat atop the marble.

"I see you guys have already caught sight of the drinks," Alex teased, moving to the bar and passing out the drinks.

"Where's Pepper and Remy?" Bruce asked, looking into the glass of alcohol in his hand; already knowing that it was going to burn his throat because of his long time without actually drinking.

"In the kitchen," Pepper called out with a sigh, walking into the room and closing her phone roughly, "Everything will be delivered by morning, Charles has already found several of the pairs of pajamas that he had hidden around the home and placed them in the male rooms and I gathered a pair of your pajamas and put them in Natasha's."

"Thank you Pepper," Alex smiled fondly, "So once you guys are finished with the drinks you can go to the rooms."

"Thank you," Tony whispered, shooting back the drink quickly, hiding the fact his eyes were shifting about the room, trying to discover the sensors that Emily was using.

"Emily," Charles spoke up suddenly, smiling slightly, "if it is alright with Alexandria, the Avengers would like to not have the sensors in their room."

Alex jerked her head to look back and forth between Charles and the group, "It-it-it's fine Em, shut down the sensors in the room. Keep the sensors outside of the windows working."

"Alex we don't want you doing this if it makes you…"Steve started until Alex glanced sharply in his direction.

"Captain, do not ever assume what makes me uncomfortable," she growled making a shiver run down his spine, "I want to make your stay comfortable, do not hesitate to ask for anything that makes you more comfortable until we figure this out."

Bruce blinked slowly, the sharpness in Alex was not something he expected here, he expected her to be soft from this sheltered life. Alex was still caring, loving, and wanted to be helpful but she was almost like Tony, demanding that they tell her what they need and allowing her to decide if it is okay. She glanced up at the ceiling again, waiting for a response from Emily until Tony spoke up.

"You don't mind that? Having people that are potentially deadly being unsupervised under your own roof?" Tony's voice was sharp, clearly thinking of what was best for Pepper in this world.

"Don't push me, Mr. Stark," Alex snapped suddenly, suddenly her eyes were hard, cold and angry as she watched Tony take a deep breath and straighten his shoulders, "You are a guest in my house, I want to help you, but you will not question my decisions. You will certainly not disagree with my decisions when I am one of the most deadly people here. You will defiantly not disagree with what I say when I know you were thinking about blocking my censors for some reason or another tonight yourself."

Tony took another breath and everyone braced themselves for the verbal lashing that he was sure to deliver, but instead he nodded. His eyes were trained on Pepper, her look of disapproval searing him slightly. He took another breath, watching as she blinked at him slowly, still a little shocked that he wasn't reacting the way that she was expecting from a Tony. "Alright," he nodded, moving his eyes to Pepper, "I'm sorry, you're right, your house, your rules…actually your dimension, you probably know more than me."

"That's in every dimension Stark," she answered, smiling slightly to show that she was joking, even though there was still an edge there. "Emily?"

"They have been deactivated ma'am," she answered, sounding a little put out.

"Thank you," she smiled weakly, "So the rooms?"

"Right," Steve smiled.

"And your secret superhero meeting can take place after while I am having several stiff drinks with Charles and Remy," Alex grinned, waving her hand toward the elevator, moving forward and leaving the gaping super heroes behind her with three smirking employees.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

It was dark in the hall when Tony slowly made his way out of the fairly spacious room Alex had moved him into. His first thought was the need for stealth, but the thought was quickly shattered by the realization that Alex already knew that the team was planning on meeting and had in fact turned off her own security system in the hall so the could have that peace of mind. He huffed out a breath and stomped down the hall, just so like he could feel he was at least breaking some sort of rule.

"Could you be any louder, Stark?" Clint questioned, appearing beside him like he had been walking there the entire time, Natasha silently striding beside him.

"Yes, I could, birdbrain," he snapped back, narrowing his eyes as if waiting for a chance to verbally attack Clint.

"Chill," Clint sighed, shaking his head as he eyes took in the tightness of the muscles in Tony's neck and the shaking in his hands, "I know it's rough on you…being here I mean."

"Oh you mean in the world where I didn't go to Afghanistan, which is all well and good but in the world where I am a huge douche bag and drove away my girlfriend?" Tony ground out, looking to the floor as if he was suddenly loosing his nerve, "Yeah, I'd say it's rough."

"I know," Clint gripped his forearm, "With Alex…Alexandria's help though, we should be getting out of here soon."

"In a week, Clint, that's not exactly soon."

Clint took a great breath, his eyes shifting between Natasha's stiff face and Tony's tight muscles, as the pair stepped into the room. The others were already seated, gathering around on the floor as Bruce continued to fold and unfold his hands together in a clear sign of distress. "Have you decided what to do in this most distressful of situations?" Thor questioned, pulling his hair back in a head band that someone most graciously had left on his pillow along with a quite nice pair of pajamas that he had changed into instead of staying in the most cumbersome armor.

"You look comfy," Natasha said stiffly, a weak smile on her face.

"I am most comfortable," Thor agreed, his eyes downcast and his forehead creasing with worry "That however does not answer my question."

"We'll just have to wait," Steve sighed, his own face and posture screamed unhappiness, "Charles said a week, that's all it'll take."

"We are in an alternate dimension!" Bruce shouted, standing suddenly, "You don't get the fact that when we did get to jump back to our time centuries could have passed! A week here, we have no idea times between these changed! When we go back, for all we know everyone we know could be dead! Everything could be gone! Hell, there might not even be humans on Earth anymore!"

Everyone stared, the mental instability that Banner was showing…it was so new. Before, with the Hulk, he had a tight control and unshakable calm that they had all envied. Now, in this world, without the need to keep the world safe from himself, he was completely ungrounded. "He's right, you know," Tony whispered, running a hand through his hair and finally looking up, "Alex and I were looking into the trans-dimensional travel and alternate realities ever since they began to find mutants that could jump. Mathematics and engineering could make a machine that did the same thing as the mutants, but the fact that we looked into the fact that waves, time, light, sound, everything could be different and we ourselves could not realize that it was different…we could come back to a new world, that why most of the people with this mutation only use it in slight bursts so that bodies and minds do not get too frazzled."

"Oh," Steve whispered sounding broken, his hands beginning to shake even as his eyes got distant. Steve didn't think that he could do that again. He couldn't get used to a new world, new people, not again. All of his other friends dead…well everyone except Alex…but even she might not live for centuries. "Oh…" he sank to his knees on the floor, trying to get air to his burning lungs.

"Steve breath," Bruce's voice barely made it past the ringing in his ears, firm hands grasped his shoulders, "Come on Steve."

Spots were dancing before Steve's eyes, flashes of faces from the past and the present…well no longer his present anymore…Pepper, Jane, Alex, Darcy…mixing with Peggy, the Commandoes, and Bucky… "I can't…I can't…" Steve's shaking voice escaped from his throat, a raw sound of a wounded animal following.

"Steve, you have to breath now," Tony's voice was steely as Thor placed a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"Tis right, Steven," Thor agreed, another hand, he wasn't sure whose was placed on an abdomen, "Follow Clinton's breaths."

Clint began taking deeper breaths, Natasha's hand holding Steve's in place while the pair breathed deeply together until Steve began to see clearly again. "I'm sorry," he whispered his voice raw, shame creeping through him at his reaction, "I shouldn't have…"

"No apologizing Cap," Tony ordered, running a shaking hand through his hair, his eyes glazed, "all of us are…"

"But none of you freaked out," he pushed himself unsteadily to his feet, only remaining standing thanks to Thor hand that remained on his back.

"Yet Cap," Clint whispered, shaking his head slowly as he pushed himself to his feet as well from where he had bent down to Steve's level.

"Is there anyway that we could figure out how time is running in the other dimension?" Natasha asked stiffly, covering all of her emotion with pure spy.

"I do not think this is in the eyes of even Heimdall," Thor whispered his answer mournfully, pushing back the hair that had fallen into his face.

"Maybe a machine?" Tony whispered, before shaking his head quickly, "Even with me, Alex and Bruce that would take even longer than waiting for that mutant." He began to pace quickly, scratching at his chin roughly, leaving behind angry red lines.

"We should…we should go to bed," Bruce whispered, trying to keep himself together again…together when he didn't need to do so. He felt so much weight on his shoulders, fear ripping at him, loneliness…anger… he took a steadying breath, shaking his head quickly, twisting his hands together violently.

"Yeah…yeah," Steve agreed, walking numbly to the door, hearing Natasha and Clint trailing behind him, "Let's get to bed guys."

"We'll head to bed soon," Bruce sighed, waving Thor away as he tossed both Bruce and Tony a concerned look before he followed the others to his own room.

"You want to do what Steve did too, right? I'm not the only one, right?" Tony asked suddenly, spinning to face Bruce.

Bruce looked away, ashamed that Tony was right, that he wanted to break down and scream…he shouldn't be able to be…this…this way. He nodded stiffly, looking up at Tony. Tony, whose normal cocky attitude was replaced with a reddened chin, glazed eyes and a tight frown. "Yeah, I do," he answered, as Tony continued to stare at him as if waiting for a verbal response.

"Bruce," Tony's voice was shaking as his shoved his hands through his hair, "I'm scared…I never thought that I would say that," he laughed shakily, his voice sounding like he was actually on the verge of tears.

"Tony," Bruce moved to his side quickly, grasping his arms firmly, trying to give Tony some nonverbal comfort, "It's okay that you're scared."

"Thought that you weren't that kind of doctor," Tony laughed, trying to regain some of his normal bite, but the tears that were gleaming in his eyes snapped that effort.

"Tony," Bruce whispered, tightening his grip slightly, "Seriously."

"I rebuilt myself Bruce…I can't do it again…I can't do it without Rhodney and Pepper…I can't just lean on you, that's not fair to you…I can't do this…" Tony's voice shook as tears finally began to make their way down his face.

"I know Tony, trust me, I know," Bruce watched Tony cry.

"Let's…" Tony paused to wipe away his tears with the back of his hand, "let's get to bed, yeah buddy?"

Bruce felt Tony half heartedly grip his shoulder, disengaging himself from Bruce's hands and looking away from his eyes. "Yeah," he agreed, taking a deep breath, smiling at Tony though he wasn't looking his way.

Tony wrapped his arm around Bruce's shoulders, seeking to give comfort almost as much as he needed to receive it as he led the pair out the door and to Bruce's room. One last one armed hug and Tony disappeared down the hall to his own room. When Bruce entered his room and finally crawled into his own bed, he felt the darkness crash into him, his emotions and his reality that the darkness made clear to him.

He felt the tears before he knew he was crying, a rough breath escaping him and disappearing into the room. By the time he realized he was sobbing he could no longer hope to stop it, he curled in on himself, vaguely remembering that he hadn't cried like this since he was a child. The final thought that before he fell asleep was that he agreed with Tony; he had rebuilt himself before, he wasn't sure that he could do it again.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"Wakey wakey Doctor," a voice from Bruce's side finally broke through the blissful sleep that he had escaped into. "Come on Doc, can't sleep all day."

"Go 'way, Gambit," Bruce mumbled from his sleep filled haze, waving the man away from his bed.

"You folks from that world keep calling me that and I don't know why," he sighed loudly, breaking Bruce out of his stupor of sleep. Memories rushed at him as he jerked himself from his prone position on the bed, making himself dizzy and slightly nauseous. He wasn't home, he wasn't even in his own…oh no, no, no, this couldn't be happening.

A moan slipped from his lips as he pressed his palms into his eyes, as if hoping that if he pressed hard enough he would forget that this entire world wasn't right. "You gonna puke, Doc? If you are I would rather you tell me because I doubt that anyone wants to do that set of laundry," Gambit…no Remy, he was Remy here, was asking from an area way too close to him.

"I'm fine," he barked out, not meaning for it to be as harsh as it sounded, he slowly opened his eyes to look at the concerned gaze of Remy, the complete change in eye color still slightly throwing him. "Seriously, I am okay."

"Good to know, you've been asleep for a long time," he laughed uneasily, rubbing the back of his head in a nervous gesture much like his other counterpart.

"I swear if you tell me I've somehow slept a thousand years or some nonsense I will jump off of the roof," Bruce groaned again, watching Remy's face shift slightly but not enough to cause any sort of unwarranted concern.

"First things first big guy," Tony announced, sweeping into the room with his usual flare, as if his little break down the night before had never happened, "the window is a hell of a lot closer than the roof, much more convenient," Bruce snorted at the thought, because of course that would be what Doctor Bruce Banner would care about if he jumped off something tall, the convince of it all. "Number two, you only slept for around nine to ten hours, which isn't a lot but more then your usual two, which of course made everyone high strung."

Bruce nodded thoughtfully. Tony was right, he didn't sleep for more then two hours at a time, sometimes he got the rare four for four, but that was usually after a long bout in the lab. His mind went through several possibilities quickly, Hulk could give him extra energy, Hulk gave him everything else, including a metabolism that knocked out any drug and anything less then a mountain full of food so being able to provide him with enough energy not to need that much sleep was possible. It could also be the possibility that his memories were trying to sync up with the Bruce in this world, apparently this Bruce hadn't been through as much evil so of course there would be no nightmares, though the memories of dreams that he could catch said that there still were several very disturbing images. At least that possibility was out the window, it was a huge relief when he thought about it. The third option is that he could have been drugged, he did drink something that he hadn't prepared and without the Hulk drugs would work…

"It was the adrenaline," Clint appeared, dropping from the vent and onto the dresser in the room, making Remy narrow his eyes with discomfort, "We all went through a lot yesterday but you, you lost the Hulk and got ill after having a major Hulk out that probably had enough stress on you to carry over. You got the adrenaline rush from the need to be alert in a new area and after everything was said and done it crashed."

"You've already been crawling around in the vents?" Bruce questioned, watching as Clint moved the vent cover back into place without a second thought.

"Yeah," Clint nodded, not looking over as he jumped off the dresser and made his way over to the bed, flopping down without a thought, "Emily printed off a great blueprint and Alex told me to 'go at it' after we had breakfast. Told me that if I found any sort of flaw in security that I should tell her."

"Seems very open to seeing her own flaws with security," Tony mumbled thoughtfully, glancing over at Remy.

"Security with mutants is a top priority, especially one that not only hires other mutants but is one of the faces of mutant rights," Remy sighed, looking up at the vents and sliding his eyes to the window. "Charles has a much tighter staff, all mutants and Von Doom, he's human, even though he had been fighting for mutant rights no human is going to attack him, not to mention no one really knows where he snuck off to with Sue. Alex likes to keep her security mixed and likes her technology to intercept before anyone gets touched."

"What's technology good for if it isn't preventative?" Tony agreed, nodding again.

"I thought that you told me to wake him up for a reason," Remy groused, slouching into the corner, "I mean I didn't come in here and almost get puked on for nothing."

"I am sorry about that," Bruce half-smiled, not feeling that sorry for the man considering he did interrupt on of his most successful nights sleep he had in a long time.

"Alex decided something last night, after we all fell asleep," Tony sighed, scratching at his goatee that Bruce was noticing was already growing out of his usual style, he couldn't stop himself from reaching up to rub at the prickly stubble that was already growing on his own face. "She started on some equations with Charles that would make building some type of machine to send us home probable. She wants to build it, I'm guessing she is starting to worry about the time line problem like we were. She said that they are going to test to see which one works more quickly, waiting for the actual mutant to tire out or actually having a machine. I think that she's thinking with me and you, as well as herself and Charles that this plan might go a lot faster then a plan that might not actually happen."

"She's worrying that the mutant isn't slowing down," Bruce gathered, waving his hand with a dismissive smile.

"No, it is slowly calming down," Remy broke in, sighing from his corner as he began to spin a pin that was previously in his pocket, Bruce guessed without the cards, even in this universe he needed something to do with his hands. "She doesn't want to kill it if it comes to a fight, she also doesn't want to be confined by the idea that this mutant's death, if we do fight, will damn you all to a life in this world."

Bruce mentally flinched, he should have guessed that she was being overly cautious; after all how often is Charles Xavier, no matter what world ever wrong? He hadn't thought of how fragile the idea of using a mutant to take them back was, after all there were several factors when relying on another living thing that would make everything much more volatile and more likely to fail. Anything could snuff out that mutant and if something didn't he could threaten to do so himself, if he were so inclined, to make sure that he could get out of jail free because he, after all, was their only hope of getting back.

"So she is going to build that machine?" Bruce asked finally, his mind still working through the idea that if Tony had only finished this with his Alex they wouldn't have been in such a bind now, but then again, who would have saw this coming?

"No, she and I are going to, along with Doom, if he gets here she says he owes her a favor or two, but not to count on him. You and Charles are going to double check the math and make sure the structure is sound so that she and I don't kill ourselves in our race to the finish line. So it'll be just like home, just with a few more freaky people," Tony corrected lightly, though Bruce could practically feel the strain in Tony's entire being.

"So do you think we should go help?" Bruce questioned, standing slowly, feeling every bone in his body try to move into place, muscles stretching from their stiff sleeping position. He glanced down at himself, unsure of when he had changed into his pajamas but grateful that he had remembered to do so, waking up in jeans down to his ankles weren't on the 'to do' list in this dimension.

"Alex, she brought up some more clothes for you," Remy interjected, "well she did it for everyone, not just you but…you know, she wasn't sure what to get so she just decided on how you guys were acting and…" he waved his hand towards the dresser.

Bruce nodded stiffly, slightly thrown by the fact that Remy seemed just as off kilter as the others that had been thrown into this dimension. "You aren't used to having new faces around here?" Bruce guessed, moving toward the dresser and opening the first drawer…under clothes, useful.

"Alex, Alex lately has been playing everything close to the chest," Remy agreed, looking at all of them slowly, "ever since some things went sour, she has had her group of people that we expect to have here, usually it's just me and Pepper, Charles running in and out as he pleases, some guards that switch out occasionally, but it's always the same three. When she let you guys past the front door…I wasn't the only one shocked when she let you guys in. She's not that open with new people, not that open at all really since everything happened, you know?"

"What did happen?" Clint asked, casually leaning against the wall, though Bruce and Tony could tell that he was tight as one of his bow strings and he had chosen the corner purposefully so he had no blind spots.

"That is Alex's story to tell," Remy said, his voice clearly stating the end of this line of questioning.

"They should stop bringing it up if they don't want us to ask," Tony groused under his breath.

"It was a turning point in her life Tony, most of the things that you ask about require bringing it up, but it isn't a story that we want to tell," Remy hissed, narrowing his eyes…his eyes!

Bruce almost jumped when he caught sight of them, they were black, black and red. His eyes weren't their normal color here anymore, they were the color of Gambit's eyes, but only when Remy was angry. He was a mutant, the thought burst through his mind before he could stop it, however his power weren't there…

"What's up with the eyes Remy?" Tony questioned boldly, staring down the man in question, his entire stance saying confrontation.

"What do ya mean Stark?" he growled, assuming that Tony was trying to make a crack at his physical appearance.

"They are black Remy, black and red," Tony explained slowly, his brain making the connections that Remy truly didn't notice his eyes, "Have you never…"

"Stark…if this is a joke…" Remy started slowly, moving swiftly to the mirror Bruce hadn't noticed, "Son of a bitch," Remy hissed under his breath, touching the corners of his eyes, blinking slowly as the color faded.

"Did Emily get a picture of that?" Clint asked, almost silently.

"I don't know," he hissed in return, turning and escaping the room quickly.

"Get dressed Bruce," Clint ordered, "We aren't going to want to miss this."

Alexandria sighed, dropping her papers down on her desk again and rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands, she hadn't slept last night. She hadn't exactly been comfortable with the extra guests in her home, even if she did invite them in, but they needed her help and she couldn't turn away anyone in need. Tony and Bruce…they were the oddest thing she could remember experiencing in her life, they were nothing like her mortal enemies here and from the stories she had heard from the others one little change in their lives changed their paths. She checked her math again, it all seemed correct, maybe she could take a quickly afternoon nap before…

The door to her personal study burst open, making her jump. Cursing she turned, her hand going to the gun that was hidden under her desk, she usually heard everything, stress was getting to her. Remy stared at her for a long moment from her door, watching her drop her hand before looking up into her eyes.

"Did you know?" he whispered the question, seriousness in his eyes that Alexandria wasn't used to seeing from her Remy.

"Did I know what?" she moved forward, thinking to comfort him, she wasn't expecting him to grab her wrist so roughly.

Remy didn't jump when Alexandria yelped, he didn't look away from her eyes and if he really focused he could feel the energy changing the color of his eyes again. "Did you know?!" he roared the question, tightening his grip again.

Alexandria gasped, watching those eyes that were so familiar being engulfed in the blackness covering his eyes. "You're a mutant," she whispered, her eyes shifting back and forth between his eyes and his hand. A new mutant, not understanding his power, that was the most dangerous person in the world, Remy could accidently wipe her off the face of the planet by accident if he had that power. "I didn't know."

"You had to know! Charles would have known!" he bit out.

"What?" Alexandria sounded lost, she knew she could escape, make him let go of her, but she wouldn't use those powers on her friends, she couldn't break their trust like that.

"Charles would have told you! He might be a lot of things but he tells you everything and my brain would've been different! You did know!" he continued to yell; he watched Alexandria's face the confusion and pain there, but when he looked into her eyes the flash of pity wiped away any sort of shame that he felt. Anger burst through him, if he had been in his right mind he would have noticed that his finger were sizzling with energy, he might have noticed the looked of terror on Alexandria's face before she cried out in pain.

"That is enough!" Charles ordered, bursting into the room, a look of fury on his face that Remy didn't think the drunk was capable of. "Let go of her wrist now or I will make you."

Remy watched the telepath, testing him with challenging eyes, as Alex bit back another yelp of pain. "Fine," Charles said, finality in his voice. Remy felt himself suddenly flying, his hand releasing Alexandria's wrist just in time to stop her from flying with him. A force held him to the wall, _Charles_ held him to the wall, tightening the grip of the energy on his throat before moving to Alexandria's side.

"What is going on in here?" Pepper barked at the question, walking into the room flanked by the Avengers.

"Alex," Charles' voice was soft, soothing as he pushed back her hair with gentle hands, "Look at me."

Alex shook her head quickly, staring intently at the floor by her feet, as if she was waiting for it to move or hoping it would swallow her. Charles sighed under his breath, looking from the top of her head to the hand that was wrapped loosely around her wrist. "Can I see your wrist Alex?" he asked, placing his hand on her opposite wrist, pulling the second hand away slowly.

He didn't hold back his gasp as he looked down at the injury, nor did he restrain himself from tightening his mental grip on Remy's body. Alexandria's wrist was burnt, seared almost down to the bone and the flesh blackened. Remy truly hadn't held back when in his state of anger…and Alexandria had paid for it with what was almost her entire hand.

"Pepper," Charles kept his voice even, anyone that didn't know how frazzled he had been ten seconds ago would have thought that he was completely calm. "Call in Phoenix…Gene, whoever she is right now."

"Right," Pepper agreed, looking down at her boss's wrist with a white washed face, "I'll tell Kurt to pick her up…"

"Very good," Charles nodded, his fingers moving to probe around the area of damaged skin, checking for any broken bones.

"I can do that," Bruce whispered, moving to his side and bending to his knees.

"You're a doctor in your world too?" Charles bit out sarcastically, managing a weak smile from Alexandria.

"No, but I worked in several hospitals, volunteer work…I have doctored up enough mutants to handle this," Bruce answered, his world feeling tilted as he took Alexandria's arm from Charles while sending her a small smile. "You can go drill Remy now, I know that you want to."

Charles nodded, his mouth folding into a thin line, as he stood. "I wish I had figured out how to hold off his mutation for longer," Charles said bluntly, drawing all eyes to him.

Bruce felt Alexandria stiffen, her head jerking to stare at Charles. Bruce ducked his head looking intently at the rather morbid wound, he had felt Alexandria's pulse racing under his palm as he probed the area much like Charles had before. "You did know,'' Alexandria hissed through the pain.

"I see into minds, darling," Charles whispered, moving closer to Remy and watching him with hard eyes, "I know everything. I was hoping to hide it from everyone, hoping that I could have found the 'cure' for mutation if it was caught soon enough."

"So he was your lab rat?" she snapped, pulling herself out of Bruce's gentle hands without apology, and standing. "You didn't tell me! You didn't tell him!"

"How was I to tell you that not only had that incident ruined our lives, but the life of your best friend!?" Charles shouted, turning on her, and loosening his hold on Remy enough to allow him to slip to the floor.

Alexandria jerked back, pain flashing through her eyes that had nothing to do with her wrist. "Charles…"

"I'm not blaming you! I never did!" Charles continued to shout, moving into Alexandria's personal space. "You blamed yourself, you ruined your own life with these thoughts that no other mutant that matter held! How was I to tell you that your best friend, one of the only humans that you still felt like you could trust, was about feel the same way all other mutants did? How was I going to tell you that you were going to ruin this relationship with false guilt, just like you ruined ours?"

"Shut up, you drunk asshole," Remy broke into the conversation, standing swiftly to face Charles.

"It's true and you know it is," Charles hissed.

"I know that that is a lie," Remy disagreed, shaking his head, touching his fingers together slowly, as if he still couldn't believe that power had rushed through them moments before. "She didn't ruin your relationship on her own. You let her. You started it actually! You let her wallow in guilt for months at what happened while you went and drunk yourself into a stupor so deep that you woke up in vomit every day unless she sent me out to find you!

You let her wallow, you basically agreed that it was her fault! You were supposed to be there for her! You were supposed to tell her that you support her, that you still cared about her…instead you ran and left this to me and Pepper, who gladly filled your place. I'm not like you. I wouldn't have let her shut herself away from me! I freaked out sure," he quickly addressed the thought that he knew everyone was thinking, tightening his hands into fists and looking to the floor, "but I wouldn't have ran. I wouldn't have blamed her. I wouldn't have let her leave me behind in her guilt."

The room was silent, all eyes flashing between Remy, Alexandria and Charles. Bruce stood silently, moving almost in time with the captain to Alexandria's sides, getting there a moment before she started swaying on her feet. "Sit down, Alexandria," Steve whispered, he and Bruce leading her to a chair and sitting her there.

"Jean will be here soon," Pepper said, moving over to her side and with sure hands pushing Alex's hair from her face.

Alex nodded as Bruce took her wrist into his hand again, "You should make sure that you keep this away from your body, I don't want anything to get into the wound or get infected,'' he ordered gently.

"Alex..." Remy edged closer to the small gathering of people, glancing down at Alex's wrist and flinching violently. "I'll just…I'll leave," he finished in a small voice, backing away from the room quickly.

"Don't be stupid," Alex called out to him without looking up, "You know you can't find a better job than the one you have here."

Remy's face suddenly flushed, confusion flashing in his eyes, "But…I hurt you. I'm too volatile to keep around here."

"Oh yea, much less volatile then me," she smiled up at him with a tired smile, "just stop being such a drama queen and I think that we can work this out."

He smiled, widely, his shoulders dropping as the group watching as tension drained from his body as quickly as it came. "I'm so sorry," he whispered again, moving closer again.

"I thought she said to stop being a drama queen Remy," Kurt teased, appearing in the room, Jean in his arms.

"You rang?" she asked, smiling at the group, a wicked glint in her eyes.


End file.
